NASA has selected a group of projects from across the US to receive a share of US$520,000 in funding as Education Community Anchors
Tom Anstey | Planet Attractions | 15 Dec 2021
The selected projects' reach will span 16 states, serving communities from the Rio Grande Valley of Texas to rural Alaska, and many other underserved areas in between Credit: NASA
NASA is aiming to help broaden STEM participation in the US by selecting a diverse group of projects from museums, science centres and more to act as hubs for education across the country.
The projects, dubbed NASA Informal Education Community Anchors, are all recognised as local community resources, with each institution bringing space exploration to traditionally underserved areas in STEM education. As such, they have been named winners of the Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) Community Anchor Awards.
In addition to the awards, the designation also includes funding totalling US$520,000 (€461,800, £393,500) across all projects to support the proposals of each organisation to strengthen STEM impact on a local level.
The selected projects have been chosen as they are specifically targeting a number of areas, including diverse populations and students from groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM; urban and rural areas with low economic opportunity; tribal communities; and new Americans and refugees.
"NASA has bold, long-term goals, so it's critically important that we reach students where they are, and create opportunities for them to experience those feelings of discovery and confidence that STEM engagement is really all about," said Mike Kincaid, NASA's associate administrator for STEM engagement.
"The Community Anchor Awards will help us reach a diverse audience while sharing and supporting NASA's missions and future plans."
For museums, science centres and other STEM attractions the selected projects include:
• Mystic Seaport Museum Inc., Mystic, Connecticut
Providing STEM Programming to Middle School Students in Underserved Communities in Eastern and Southern Connecticut
• Red River Stem Inc (Sci-Port Discovery Center), Shreveport, Louisiana
Cross-Curricular Skill Development Through NASA Aeronautics Programming
• Challenger Learning Center of Maine, Bangor, Maine
From Maine to Mars: A Virtual Trip to Space
• Gateway To Science Center Inc., Bismarck, North Dakota
Engaging Rural and Tribal Families in North Dakota with NASA Space Tech
• Liberty Science Center Inc., Jersey City, New Jersey
NASA Nights at Liberty Science Center
• Nova77 Stem Workshop, Henderson, Nevada
Engaging Youth in NASA Space Science Imaging
• Children's Maritime Museum at Port Jefferson (Long Island Explorium), Port Jefferson, New York
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